1
Impetuous Liverpool lose control
If emotion drives Liverpool towards a glorious farewell to Jürgen Klopp, then Old Trafford needed a cooler head. Harvey Elliott's contribution to rescuing points as a substitute stood out because, for all his energy, he played intelligently, looking to progress the ball and tempting Aaron Wan-Bissaka into conceding a penalty. Players like Dominik Szoboszlai and even regular pass master Alexis Mac Allister had allowed a red mist to consume them. Luis Díaz, Mohamed Salah and Darwin Núñez – a modern “Crazy Horse” but crazier than Emlyn Hughes – were also guilty of impetuosity. On the bench, Klopp himself looked in danger of exploding, especially after Kobbie Mainoo was given space to score. With so little time between matches and minds as tired as legs, it's no wonder nerves are frayed. Liverpool must have hope. city of manchester and Arsenal develop the same anxieties that allowed what should have been an easy victory at Old Trafford to slip away. John Brewin
2
Postecoglou makes the right decision
Important intervention by Ange Postecoglou at halftime Nottingham Forest He moved Tottenham closer to next season's Champions League and showed that he is not afraid to take decisive action when necessary. Postecoglou rightly said Spurs lost their way after Chris Wood's first-half equaliser, and it could have turned into a deeply uncomfortable night after Forest dominated the latter part of the first half. Postecoglou roped in Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr, with Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Rodrigo Bentacur injecting energy into the midfield. The collective improvement was such that it was easy to imagine a particularly intense break in the Tottenham locker room. Postecoglou said last week that success is about more than making money for the Champions League, noting that qualification could make things more challenging next season. While seeking new investment, president Daniel Levy certainly has a different view, and the manager's decision ensured a significant step towards UEFA's most lucrative competition. Lucas McLaughlin
3
Family weaknesses indicate Frank's response
Brentford squandered their lead and had to settle for a draw as Aston Villa presented the perfect opportunity for Thomas Frank to face an age-old post-match question. Was one point gained or two lost? An embarrassing pause followed. “We've dropped more points (from winning positions than any other Premier League team), so I'm happy we're still number one in that statistic,” he said sarcastically. “No, I'm not happy. It's a good point, but I think there are two of them.” Brentford have dropped a league-high 30 points from winning positions and their inability to kill games means they remain at risk of relegation, particularly after Everton and Luton claimed wins. Brentford, however, have a favorable run and a home win against the bottom club. Sheffield UnitedSaturday would go a long way towards securing another season in the top flight. ben fisherman
4
Havertz lights up the Gunners again
Kai Havertz's transformation into the protagonist Arsenal craved has been one of the biggest factors in their consistency since the start of the year. The German has five goals and four assists in his last seven first division starts and was at his best during the win over Brighton on Saturday as Arsenal warmed up in style for Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg at home to Bayern Munich. Arteta and captain Martin Ødegaard spoke afterwards that they always had faith that Havertz would prove the skeptics wrong after his shock exit from Chelsea in the summer and that he was being rewarded. “We saw immediately the quality he had,” Ødegaard said. “It was just about getting him out there and that can be seen now with how much he is giving to the team, not just with goals and assists. “He has given us a lot and I am very happy for him.” Ed Aaron
5
Fresh City prepared for the Madrid test
Rodri's withdrawal with 15 minutes remaining at Selhurst Park posed a risk for Pep Guardiola, taking into account the midfielder's talisman status. The last time Rodri suffered defeat was against Scotland when playing for Spain in March 2023. A first half that included a couple of unusual errors showed that even the best can tire, only for the presenter to play a starring role in The City advances 4-1. With Real Madrid in his sights, Guardiola wanted to “reduce the minutes” of players like Rodri, having decided to opt for “fresh legs” in his starting eleven. With Kyle Walker and Nathan Aké in doubt for the Bernabeu, the toughest choice for Guardiola is whether Ederson, on the Palace bench, replaces Stefan Ortega, who has done nothing wrong as a backup goalkeeper. “I have to think about it,” Guardiola said. “Eddy feels good, but I have to decide if he lacks rhythm.” J.B.
6
The totemic Branthwaite dulls Burnley
It wasn't difficult to single out Jarrad Branthwaite from the terrible show at Goodison Park, but the praise for the young Everton defender carried much more weight when it came from Vincent Kompany. “That child”, like the one beaten Burnley The manager described the 21-year-old as being primarily responsible for frustrating the visitors before and after Dara O'Shea's red card, with his perfectly timed attacks, clever interceptions and calm distribution being the only genuine highlights of the performance. from Everton. “I'm not saying this because he's a young defender,” said one of the best centre-backs of his era, “and sometimes it's important to stay away from hype, but it's an objective analysis. It was a performance in which my forwards did very well and he recovered very well. Sometimes his colleagues get beaten up and he reads it to go and cover himself. It is a facet of his game that is really promising for the future.” It is a future that will likely be away from Goodison this summer given Everton's difficult finances, and will involve the Euros with England. andy hunter
after newsletter promotion
7
Up and down, Fulham lacks purpose
Are Fulham on the beach? A challenge for European football was possible when they thrashed Tottenham and reached 39 points last month. Since then, however, they have salvaged a 3-3 draw at Sheffield United, lost badly at Nottingham Forest and dropped three points against Newcastle. Maybe it's just an inconsistency. However, something similar happened at the end of last season and fans have a right to be concerned about their team's mentality. Are Fulham too comfortable, safe from relegation worries? Will Marco Silva, who doesn't have the biggest budget, get itchy feet again? What happens if João Palhinha leaves? Of course, these concerns come after a rough patch. Fulham are a dangerous and creative team and could easily regain their momentum. But after starting well against Newcastle, they felt flat during a second half in which Silva's substitutions failed to work. Jacob Steinberg
8
Emotions run high for the happy Hatters
in beating Bournemouth Luton buried the ghost of their most painful defeat of the season. Losing 4-3 at Vitality after leading 3-0 at half-time exposed that, for all their hard work, Rob Edwards' side are not too good to go down. On Saturday, a Carlton Morris goal in the 90th minute snatched their first victory since January, a long wait in which only by losing 6-2 to Manchester City and 4-1 to Liverpool were they exposed to an abyss of class. . A victory celebrated with great emotion took on special importance when Everton ended their own winless streak. That club is hoping for a potential further points deduction that could take them up to Luton's level. Meanwhile, Luton must maintain their effort levels. If Manchester City next week seems like a tall order, Brentford, just four points clear, at Kenilworth Road in a fortnight sounds like a six-pointer. J.B.
9
Negativity returns for Chelsea
Sheffield United and Chelsea posted their respective managers' reaction on X after the draw at Bramall Lane. Chris Wilder's interview lasted almost seven minutes, while Mauricio Pochettino's lasted just 28 seconds. That tells you which coach was happier with a point. Arsenal went to Sheffield at the beginning of March and won 6-0 (it could easily have been 10), so by comparison this 2-2 draw is a fair reflection of how far away Pochettino's team are from challenging the best teams in the division. The Chelsea manager brought up the usual, that the players are disappointed and frustrated, and the euphoria of last week's 4-3 victory against manchester united has been quickly forgotten. “I never felt the situation we were in all afternoon, which is incredible,” Wilder said of the positive vibes from the home fans. The atmosphere will not be so optimistic when Everton visit Stamford Bridge next Monday. LMC
10
Tactical adjustments catch Cooper's attention
Among the 31,504 in attendance at Molineux was one Steve Cooper. The former Nottingham Forest manager was in the directors' box, enjoying the tactical tinkering on the touchline. Gary O'Neil used full-back Rayan Aït-Nouri as a number 10, and David Moyes made two changes at half-time that tipped the game in West Ham's favor. Cooper did an excellent job at Forest and will be eager to return to work as soon as possible if the right offer is made. O'Neil's impressive season at Wolves has him linked with other jobs and, if he moves on, Molineux could be a possible destination for Cooper. Moyes' future is also up in the air and if he leaves West Ham, the former Swansea manager will likely be high on their shortlist. Clearly, Cooper is doing his research to ensure he is in as much of the Premier League as possible. No one knows where the next job will come from, so he has to make sure he's prepared. won't win
